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Dispute Resolution

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 09/30/2011 - 9:10am

Posted: Fri, 09/30/2011 - 9:10amUpdated: Fri, 01/23/2015 - 3:35pm

Does a family qualify as homeless? What services should the school district provide? Which school is it in the best interest of the child to attend? Is it feasible for the school to provide transportation? Does the child need extra support services? Does he or she have school supplies? Do the child receive free or reduced priced benefits?

Many questions can come up as families and McKinney-Vento Liaisons work together. While some only require simple yes or no answers, others can be very complicated. If a family and the school district disagree about the answers to some of the questions, a dispute resolution process needs to be followed. School districts may design their own dispute resolution process; however, it does need to follow some guidelines. First, students must remain enrolled, be allowed to attend school as normal, and continue to receive all services a homeless student would be eligible for while the dispute is being settled. Second, students may not be expelled without due process of the law. Third, students and their families must be provided with a written explanation of any decisions. That notice must also include information on how to appeal the decision, the contact information of the school district’s McKinney-Vento Liaison, and the contact information of the state coordinator. The following links outline the processes designed to address any issues that are appealed to the Indiana Department of Education.